Distributor with separate suction and pressure nozzles for a liquid-ring gas compressor

ABSTRACT

An improved distributor arrangement for a liquid-ring gas compressor having a horizontal impeller shaft in which the work chambers in the compressor have adjacent side walls provided with suction and pressure slots and with the pressure slots on one side of the impeller and the pressure nozzle on the top on the other side of the impeller shaft with the distributor conducting discharged gas through a plenum located both below the portion of the distributor adjacent to the pressure slots and the portion connected to the pressure nozzle whereby liquid which has gotten into the gas during compression will be efficiently separated from the gas within the plenum.

United States Patent [1 1 Hoffmeister [451 May 20, 1975 DISTRIBUTOR WITH SEPARATIi SUCTION FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS FQ g g 173,842 5/1935 Switzerland 418/97 [75] Inventor: Gunter Hoffmeister, Nurnberg, Pri ExaminerWil]i am L. Freeh Germany Assistant Examiner-Richard E. Gluck [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, Attorney n or Flrm Kenyn & Kenyon Remy Germany Carr & Chapin 1 PP 459,582 An improved distributor arrangement for a 1iquid-ring gas compressor having a horizontal impeller shaft in [30] Foreign Application Priority Data which the work chambers m the compressor have ad- 2318538 acent side walls provided with suction and pressure Apr. 12, 1973 Germany Slots and with the p r slots on one Side of the peller and the pressure nozzle on the top on the other [52] U.S. ((5.1. Side of the impeller shaft with the distributor conduct [51] Int. 69 c418/97 ing discharged gas through a plenum located both [58] Flew 0 can below the portion of the distributor adjacent to the pressure slots and the portion connected to the pres- [56] References Cited sure nozzle whereby liquid which has gotten into the UNITED STATES PATENTS gas during compression will be efficiently separated 1,678,909 7/1928 Jennings 417/68 from the gas within the plenum. 3,108,738 10/1963 Luhmann 417/68 3,785,167 1/1974 Sahs 417 312 X 3 Claims, 2 Drawlng g I Ll I I l 17/7 2 7 5 I III III/IIIIIIIIII III 11 s L l PATENTEB HAY 2 0 975 SHEET 2 OF 2 III I III [III I 11/11 DISTRIBUTOR WITH SEPARATE SUCTION AND PRESSURE NOZZLES FOR A LIQUID-RING GAS COMPRESSOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to liquid-ring gas compressors in general, and more particularly to an improved distributor arrangement in such compressors which provides for improved separation of liquid from the gas being discharged by the compressor.

Liquid-ring gas compressors comprise, in general, a work chamber housing in which a rotor or impeller rotates and has co-rotating therewith an eccentric liquidring. Because of the eccentricity, the liquid ring acts as pistons in the gaps between the impeller blades to draw in the gas, and compress it and discharge it. In order to provide openings for suction and discharge, at least one end face of the work chamber comprises a sidewall containing suction and pressure slots. These suction and pressure slots communicate with distributor chambers adjacent thereto which serve to properly direct the inflow and outflow of the gas. Associated with the distributor are separate suction and pressure nozzles.

One specific type of compressor of this nature is described in German Auslegeschrift No. 1,095,984. In the arrangement disclosed therein, a plenum is located within the distributor below the pressure slot or slots. The pressure nozzle opens into the distributor at a point higher than the pressure slots. The purpose of the plenum is to collect liquid which is discharged along with the air from the compressor and for separating the liquid from the gas prior to discharge through the pressure nozzle. In the compressor, disclosed in the German reference, the separated liquid is removed through an outlet from the plenum adjoining one end face of the working chamber. The pressure chamber and the suction chamber in the distributor are separated by a partition which goes through the axis of the shaft from the top side, between the pressure and suction nozzles, to the lower side. As a result, only the relatively small space comprising one half the distributor cross section is available as the plenum used for separating liquid carried along with the gas. Since the pressure nozzle opening to the outside is arranged directly above the pressure slot or slots the medium discharged from the pressure nozzle will flow primarily into the pressure nozzle with a correspondingly high velocity resulting in a considerable portion of the liquid carried by the gas flowing to the outside and only a small portion being separated in the plenum. This is particularly true since plenum has a reduced cross section with increasing distance from the pressure slot. As a result, the liquid which is carried along to the outside must later be separated out by separators external to the distributor.

In another prior art design described in German Auslegeschrift No. 1,293,942 each work chamber containing an impeller is terminated by side walls with one side wall having a suction slot connected to the suction nozzle and the other side wall having a pressure slot connecting with the pressure nozzle. A housing enclosing the work chamber or chambers on all sides fulfills the purpose of the distributor. That is, the housing surrounds the work chamber in both the radially and axial directions with a predetermined spacing, which spacing is also used as the liquid separator. In this arrangement, the pressure nozzle opens into the housing on the side of the impeller shaft facing away from the pressure slot if the impeller shaft is vertical and on the same side above the liquid level if the impeller shaft is horizontal. Since the space required for the separation of the liquid is formed by the space between the compressor and the housing, the outside dimensions of the arrangement must be increased accordingly.

Thus, it can be seen that there is a need for an improved arrangement in a compressor of this type which will efficiently separate out the liquid carried along by the gas without substantially increasing the outside dimensions of the compressor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This problem is solved in the present invention in a particularly simple and reliable manner by arranging all pressure slots on one side of the impeller shaft and the pressure nozzle on the other side of the impeller shaft with the pressure slots and the nozzles connected with each other through a plenum situated below both the pressure slots and the nozzle and extending across the entire cross section of the distributor. Due to the larger size of the plenum, the flow velocity of the gas-liquid mixture flowing into the distributor through the pressure slots is substantially reduced and the entire pumped quantity of the mixture is forced through the plenum on its way to the pressure nozzle permitting a clean separation of the gas and liquid within the distributor. As a result, gas leaving the pressure nozzle is practically free of liquid.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plenum of the distributor is designed as a detachable tray with an overflow supported in a base frame for the compressor in which base frame is also located drive and auxiliary units.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section through a double sided compressor constructed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section in elevation of the arrangement of FIG. 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The compressor illustrated on FIGS. 1 and 2 is a double sided liquid ring gas compressor, the overall arrangement being" designated as 1. Associated with this compressor is a distributor 2 having a suction nozzle 3 and a pressure nozzle 4 both on the top side and also including, at the bottom, a plenum 5. The plane side walls 6 of the distributor 2 are each provided with at least one suction slot 7 and one pressure slot 8 as more clearly shown on FIG. 2. These connect with the respective work chambers 9 on each side. The work chambers 9 are formed inside housings 10 which are tightly connected to the side walls 6 with an impeller 11 being installed in each of the work chambers 9. In well known fashion, the impeller 11 has associated with it a co-rotating eccentric liquid ring operating such that, as its impeller cells rotate past the suction and pressure slot 7 and 8, the pumping action of liquid pistons of different sizes within the individual impeller cells causes the suction, compression and discharge of the gas being compressied. As noted above, the gas discharged will also contain a certain amount of liquid. In operation, the gas flows in through the suction nozzle 3 through the slot 7 into the individual cells where it is compressed and is then discharged through the slots 8 on the other side of the impeller. The discharged gas flows through the distributor and out through the pressure nozzle 4. Separation of the suction slots and pressure slots within the distributor 2 is obtained through the use of a first internal partition 13 and a second internal partition 14 connected to partition 13 below the impeller shaft. in this manner, two separate chambers are formed within the distributor 2 which chambers communicate with slots on opposite sides of the impeller shaft. At the bottom, the partition 13 has an extension designated 13a. This extension ends a predetermined distance from the lower part of the distributor and causes the gas under pressure flowing out of the pressure slots 8 to follow a path taking it partially through the plenum at the bottom after which it rises to discharge out of the pressure nozzle 4. This path shown by the arrow on the figure results in the gas following a sufficiently long path under appropriate conditions such that the major portion of the liquid carried along with the gas is separated out in the plenum.

The plenum 5 extends over the entire width and depth of the distributor, i.e., its full cross section. In the illustrated embodiment, it is designed as a detachable tray 15 supported in the base frame 16 for the compressor and its drive and auxiliary units (not shown). The tray 15 has an overflow 17 for the separated liquid. For cooling the liquid remaining in the tray, a liquid cooler 18 is provided. Preferably, where active liquids are used in the compressor, the tray will be made ofa material resistent to corrosion and chemical influences or can be lined with such a material. The tray can be of any desired shape and can thus meet various requirements, i.e., the other portions of the compressor can consist of conventional assemblies.

The distributor arrangement can be used with other types of compressor parts in a known manner. For example, one impeller and its housing can be omitted leaving only a single sided compressor. In that case, the slots in the free side wall of the distributor not abuting against a work chamber would be made solid. Furthermore, impellers of differing lengths in accordance with different compressor output ratings can be arranged on one or both sides of the distributor. In order to save length in the axial direction, the impellers and housing surrounding them can be shaped approximately in the shape of a bell so that, as illustrated by the embodiment of FIG. 1, the shaft bearings 19 along with their stuffing gland seals 20 can be at least partially inset into the empty outer end face spaces of the housing 10. The housings 10 are supported and centered at the side walls 6 being pressed firmly against the respective side wall by bolted pressure rings 21.

For feeding cooling liquid to the stuffing glands and sealing liquid to the gaps between the side walls and the impellers, suitable canals, which connect with a suction tube 22 arranged in the distributor and brought down into the tray 15, are provided in the housing and distributor in conventional fashion.

With the arrangement of the present invention, a very compact, space saving distributor for a compressor is obtained which makes possible practically complete liquid separation and therefor permits the insertion of sound absorbers 23 into the pressure nozzle of the distributor thereby permitting low-noise operation with high efficiency.

Thus, an improved distributor arrangement for a compressor has been shown. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention which is intended to be limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquid-ring compressor for a pump medium having an operationally horizontal impeller shaft and a distributor having an outside wall separate suction and pressure nozzles and including at least one plane side wall containing one or more pressure slots and one or more suction slots adjoining a work chamber of the compressor and an enclosing outside wall and in which, below the pressure slots, the pressure nozzle, and the impeller shaft, a plenum is provided in the distributor for collecting liquids separated from the pump medium, with the pressure nozzle opening into the distributor at a point higher than the pressure slots, an improved distributor arrangement comprising:

a. all pressure slots arranged on one side of the impeller shaft and the pressure nozzles on the other side, with the pressure nozzles and pressure slots connected directly with each other through the plenum located below both with the plenum extending across the entire cross-section of the distributor; and

b. suction and pressure nozzles opening into the distributor near its top and suction slots in the side wall arranged between first and second internal partitions with the pressure slots arranged between the first partition and the outside wall of the distributor with the first and second partitions connected below the impeller shaft to a wall extending toward the plenum and ending a distance from the bottom side of the distributor.

2. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein the plenum of the distributor is designed as a detachable tray supported on a base frame and further including an overflow for said plenum.

3. A distributor according to claim 1 and further including a sound absorber inserted in the pressure noz- 

1. In a liquid-ring compressor for a pump medium having an operationally horizontal impeller shaft and a distributor having an outside wall separate suction and pressure nozzles and including at least one plane side wall containing one or more pressuRe slots and one or more suction slots adjoining a work chamber of the compressor and an enclosing outside wall and in which, below the pressure slots, the pressure nozzle, and the impeller shaft, a plenum is provided in the distributor for collecting liquids separated from the pump medium, with the pressure nozzle opening into the distributor at a point higher than the pressure slots, an improved distributor arrangement comprising: a. all pressure slots arranged on one side of the impeller shaft and the pressure nozzles on the other side, with the pressure nozzles and pressure slots connected directly with each other through the plenum located below both with the plenum extending across the entire cross-section of the distributor; and b. suction and pressure nozzles opening into the distributor near its top and suction slots in the side wall arranged between first and second internal partitions with the pressure slots arranged between the first partition and the outside wall of the distributor with the first and second partitions connected below the impeller shaft to a wall extending toward the plenum and ending a distance from the bottom side of the distributor.
 2. A distributor according to claim 1 wherein the plenum of the distributor is designed as a detachable tray supported on a base frame and further including an overflow for said plenum.
 3. A distributor according to claim 1 and further including a sound absorber inserted in the pressure nozzle. 